April 19, 2020
Are You Excited by the Opportunity or Dreading It?
The current Pandemic has spurred many People to Remind us of events in World History, including the Challenges that many of our Ancestors faced to bring their families here…
This has been done to Boost our Spirits, Cheer us up, and Inspire Resilience in the Face of Struggle…
Your Great-Grandparents and Grandparents Survived through the Great Depression…And they Lived Through World War I, World War II, the Korean War, Vietnam
More recently, We all have Experienced the spread of Ebola, AIDS, SARS, Influenza (multiple times), etc.
And, we’ve “Survived” 9/11, and a terrorist attack right here on Boston soil seven years ago…
We are reminded that People, Family, and Country have Survived all of these things and “Continued On” …
Technically, this is all correct, and we have Endured through difficult times…
I Love using Perspective as a Tool to Raise Awareness, Understanding, and Social-Consciousness…
I Use it frequently with Myself so that I Appreciate just How Terrific Life Can Be…
I think these Messages help Clearly Illustrate How to “Frame” One Experience against another so that we Understand What We are Capable Of…
Most of All, I think these Messages Succeed in their Desired Effect: They Let Us Know “Others” Have Done More with Less, and that We Are Capable of More….
The Problem with all of these Quotes, references and Analogies isn’t in the Message, it’s in the Recipients.
Asking People to Be Tough, when they Have Never Been Asked Before, is almost always a Losing Proposition.
In Fact, it will Crush You.
You are facing Unknown Struggle, in a New Situation, and You have No “Struggle” on Your Resume?
Buckle Up, it’s a Bumpy Ride…
Much like Training, the Actual Struggle Beats You Down.
You Work Hard, Give Great Effort, and the Results are Worse before they Get Better.
You Learn How to Be “Tired”, “Angry”, “Patient” and “Determined”.
You Battle Day after Day towards a Goal, never knowing When or IF you will Arrive at that Destination.
If that doesn’t Sound Similar to something you have Done in your Life, chances are “Right Now” really sucks…
That’s actually OK if it’s the case, but it isn’t Fun.
What may hurt worse is How Many Times Your Parents Protected You from a Potential Situation.
What certainly stings more is the amount of Times we Have Quit on a Goal, Relationship, Project, or Opportunity, well before we should have, because it was “Hard”.
Essentially, if this is Your 1st Hardship, it’s Not Going Well.
What Happens Next, however, can be quite Rewarding.
The Phrase, “the strength is in the Struggle,” is Popular because it’s True.
The Character and Skills Acquired through prolonged, sustained Effort towards an Outcome are typically more Valuable than the End Goal…
Your Opportunity is Your Struggle.
Are you Aware of Your Shortcomings?
Ask Someone and Do some Reflection
Do You Stay With It (or Even Improve) when things Become Difficult?
Ask Someone You Trust, like a Coach/Teacher/Friend, and Have them Be Honest…
Are You Someone that Others Seek Out during Hardship?
If so, Why? If Not, Why Not?
Are You Willing to “Suffer” (Work Harder/Smarter/Longer than ever Before) to Succeed?
Have you Done it Before? Why/Why Not? Do You Understand the Concept?
Are You Excited by the Opportunity (to Improve) that will inevitably come from the Extended Isolation?
…Or, Are You Dreading It?
This Question, according to many Cognitive Experts, is the one that Matters.
Are You Excited by the Opportunity or Dreading It?
Right now, in this moment, You Tell Me: What’s Next?
In your Time of Struggle, of Uncertainty, of Fear, if this has been Your Biggest Struggle, What Becomes of You?
Are you Excited for the Opportunity, the limitless Options you will have to Be Your Best Self Moving Forward (think in Months/Years, not Hours/Days)?
Or, are you Stuck in Place, Struggling with your Next Step, having not benefitted at all from your Imposed Exile?
Let Your Struggle Become Your Passion, Let it Help Push you Forward, and with it will come the Knowledge that you can Handle “Next”…
If the Strength is in the Struggle, then Let’s All Move Towards Strength!
Use this Adversity to Become the Best Version of Yourself…
If you do, when the next “Hard” Hits, You’ll Know Your Struggle is just the Beginning of Your “Great”…
